


Friendship Of The Good Ones

by smallsmilliman97



Category: Stargirl (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Henry is dead and Beth is very sad, Rick is a good friend, So much angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:07:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25930105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallsmilliman97/pseuds/smallsmilliman97
Summary: Chuck had tried to offer her comfort, but Beth wasn’t in the mood. She pulled the goggles off her face. Chuck was the first person that had made her feel normal since Henry. And listening to his voice only reminded her of her dead friend. Beth closed her eyes. Henry is dead. How is this okay? How is Beth ever going to be okay again?After Henry’s death, Beth does her best to keep going.
Relationships: Beth Chapel/Rick Tyler, Henry King Jr. & Beth Chapel
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	Friendship Of The Good Ones

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place after my These Aren’t Tears of Sadness Because You’re Leaving Me fic.

Beth stared at the pile of rumble, feet frozen in place. She felt Courtney’s hand grab her’s, pulling her toward the exit. Beth’s eyes were wet with tears as the blonde pulled her away from her friend’s broken body. She let out a gut wrenching sob at the thought.

Henry was still back there. Henry’s body was under all that rumble. How was Beth supposed to breathe? 

“Beth,” Rick’s suddenly beside her as they burst out of the tunnels, he slowed her to a stop, grasping both her arms as he looked her in the eye.

“Are you okay?” Beth struggled to breathe, shaking her head. Beth didn’t think she’d ever be okay again. She buried her head in his chest. Her cries were loud and ugly. She barely registered Rick’s arms around her, keeping her upright as her legs buckled underneath her.

Henry was gone. This wasn’t like fourth grade, this time, Henry wasn’t coming back. That was the last time she would ever get to talk to Henry. That was it. Gone were their plans of late night game nights. Of sleepovers where they got no sleep. Of reading Agatha Christie over the phone to each other until one of them fell asleep. Beth sobs grew softer and more infrequent after a few moments, and she felt Rick’s grip on her loosen, but she clutched him closer to her, desperate for the comfort his strong arms bring her.

“We need to go.” He whispered into her ear after a few moments. Beth nodded, still not wanting to leave his embrace. Finally she pulled away enough that they could begin walking farther away from the tunnels. She’s still clutching his torso, and he keeps one arm draped over her shoulders.

Once they made it to the Pit Stop, Rick helped Beth to the couch, where she finally collapsed. She stared at her hands, blurry from the tears. She heard Rick explain to Pat what happened while Barbara tried her best to comfort the other two girls. Chuck had tried to offer her comfort, but Beth wasn’t in the mood. She pulled the goggles off her face. Chuck was the first person that had made her feel normal since Henry. And listening to his voice only reminded her of her dead friend. Beth closed her eyes. Henry is dead. How is this okay? How is Beth ever going to be okay again?

———

Beth sat with her parents behind Dr. King at the funeral. Beth doesn’t think she breathed once during the whole thing. She wished she had taken Rick up on his offer of him joining her. Because the entire time, instead of crying like she wished she had done, she was shaking with rage as she burned holes in the back of Dr. King’s head. She wishes she spoke. Instead, she had to listen to his teammates pretend to be sad and tell nonsense stories about how Henry had been a great friend and teammate. Artemis’s eulogy had been sweet. She seemed to genuinely be distraught over his death. That made the anger in her chest lessen for a moment. 

After it was over, Beth told her parents she was going to walk home. She promised she would be safe, and finally she convinced them to let her go.

As she was walking down the dark street, she looked up at the stars. She paused in the middle of the sidewalk in front of her house. This was a stupid idea, it’s not like he could hear… 

Beth closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Hey, Henry, I miss you,” she felt tears in the corner of her eyes, “I’m not sure what I should say to you, but I just needed to talk to you.” Beth lowered her head, rubbing furiously at her eyes.

“Rick offered to come to the funeral with me, it was very sweet… I think I might like him…” she whispered that last part, her eyes flicking back up to look at the sky again, “Is that crazy?” She sat down on her lawn, falling back so she could look up at the sky. The ache in her chest wasn’t as overwhelming, staring up at the sky, talking to Henry.

“I wish you were here, so you could tell me I was being crazy. Crushing on Rick Harris. Tyler? I’m not sure what I should call him. 

“Anyway, I miss you. I know I’ve missed you before, for a lot longer than this, but this is different. You’re really gone. I can’t look across the lunch room and see you anymore. You can never come back… We can never eat lunch together again. We can never watch Clue together again.” New tears formed as she thought of all the things they would never get to do together again. All the things they never GOT to do.

“Why did you do it? You could have come through, you could’ve gotten away. Instead…” Beth didn’t want to say what she was thinking, it was selfish, but she needed to say it, “Instead you left me…” She started crying again. It wasn’t fair. Henry should be here, lying on the grass with her, looking up at the stars. Telling her she was stupid for crushing on the town delinquent. But he wasn’t. His body was in a casket, and tomorrow night, it would be six feet under in the graveyard. 

“Why did you leave me, Henry?” 

———

When Rick dropped Beth off after their first date, she happily skipped to her back yard. She sank into the hammock she had set up after Henry’s funeral.

“The date was amazing.” She smiled up at the sky, “We picked up food from Rickie’s, and he took me to this place outside of town. I can’t remember what he called it, but he spent a lot of time after his parents died. We sat and talked for hours. I wish you had really gotten to know him, Henry. You would’ve loved him.” Beth brought her hands to the bottom of her cardigan as she began to fiddle with the fabric.

“I wish you had gotten to do a lot of things…”

———

“I got into Yale.” Beth’s voice was small as she gazed up at the clouds. Her heart hurt knowing that Henry wasn’t here to help her.

“Rick’s going to A & M. Henry… I don’t know what to do! Yale has been my dream for as long as I can remember, but…” Beth began to cry softly.

“I don’t want to lose Rick. I know I always said there was no way I would change my plans for a stupid boy, but… Rick’s not stupid. I love him. I love him so much. And I just…” Beth closed her eyes, trying her best to calm her breathing.

“I just can’t lose him. I wish you could tell me what to do…”

———

“He proposed!” Beth held her hand up to the night sky, “I was so worried he was going to break up with me, but he didn’t, he proposed!” Beth brought the hand down to stare at the ring.

“I wish you could’ve been there. He got Court, Yolanda, Artemis, Cam and Mike to help. He did everything so perfectly. Well, as perfect as he could.” Beth brought the ring to her heart before looking up at the sky.

“Nothing is perfect without you here.” A single tear escaped her eye, but she quickly brought her hand up to wipe it away.

“Beth, babe, it’s time to eat,” Rick’s head popped out onto the deck. His smile was wide as he gazed at his fiancée. 

“Tell Henry I said hi.” He quickly glanced up at the sky before bringing his head back in, making his way back to the kitchen. Beth lets her gaze return to the stars.

“Rick says hi.”

———

“Henry, I’d like you to meet Henry Owen Tyler,” Beth lifted her son up slightly as she gazed lovingly at his sleeping face. She brought her eyes up to the sky.

“I hope you don’t mind, we named him after you.” Tears pricked the edges of her eyes, “I hope he grows up to be almost as selfless as you were.”

———

“I’m sorry it’s been so long.” Beth leaned back into the old wicker chair, “It’s gotten harder and harder to move.” Beth's face crinkled into a smile.

“I think I’ll get to see you again soon.” She brought her eyes down to gaze across the yard at her great-grandchildren.

“I wish you had gotten this. You would’ve been the best grandparent.” Beth chuckled.

“Your kids would’ve been spoiled rotten.” The tears that usually came when she talked to her best friend appeared in her eyes. 

“I can’t wait to see you again.” Beth closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“We’re going to have so much fun.”


End file.
